Recently, increased focus has been placed on the effects of cumulative stress disorders (CTD's) such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, ganglionic cysts, etc. on productivity at the work place and worker pain and discomfort. Studies have shown that these disorders affect many types of workers such as computer operators, secretaries, certain machine workers, postal workers, and a host of other types of workers. A particular problem exists for painters who must hold paint containers, of the type having a bale handle, for long durations. These painters typically hold the paint container in one hand with the fingers of the same hand against the container's bottom to support the container and with the bale handle generally against the side of container so they may easily access the interior of the can with their paint brush. To stabilize the container, these painters generally hook their thumb over the bale handle. Holding the container as just described for long period, such as when a painter is "cutting in" (e.g., bordering the walls of a room,) or doing trim work, can result in accumulated stress to the heel area of the hand (i.e., around the base of the thumb), in the thumb, across the palm of the hand, across the transverse carpal ligament, or generally around the carpal tunnel area (ie., wrist). The accumulated loads and stresses to one or several of these areas can lead painters to experience chronic fatigue, soreness, or pain in these areas leading to CTD's including carpal tunnel syndrome.
A need, therefore, exists for an apparatus which could be used by a painter, or another, needing to steadily hold a container having a bale handle, which allows the person to steadily hold the container from its bottom with decreased stress to one or several of the aforementioned areas of the hand and wrist. It would be desirable, therefore, to have an apparatus which entirely eliminated the need for the user to use her thumb to stabilize the container. It would further be desirable if such an apparatus also gave support to the user's wrist to assist the user in holding the container from its bottom. Such an apparatus could provide further benefit by providing a convenient way to steadily hold the container in one hand which would eliminate the need to bend to dip the paint brush, allowing the painter, or other user, to do her work more rapidly and efficiently and with less accidental dripping. An added safety benefit would also be provided by such a apparatus, by allowing the painter to easily hold the container while standing on a ladder, or the like, thus allowing the painter to easily maintain balance on the ladder. Such an apparatus thus would also reduce or eliminate the need for the painter to rest the container on the ladder tray and thereby place herself in an off-balance position to access the container on the tray.
The inventor of the instant invention is aware of no device, apart from the instant invention, which addresses the aforementioned needs or provides the above stated benefits and advantages. Only one device, described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,481 to Skelton, is known by the inventor which is used to facilitate the user in stabilizing a container having a bale handle when such a container is held from its bottom. However, this device utilizes a loop attached to the bale handle for receiving the user's thumb. Thus, while suitable for its intended purpose, the device actually actively uses the user's thumb to stabilize the container and therefore neither eliminates nor reduces the stresses to the thumb or hand. Furthermore, the device does not provide any means for supporting the user's wrist to alleviate stresses thereto.
To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the apparatus of this invention may comprise the following.